Rain has a way of revealing the truth. It settles quietly into the seams of a jacket, gathers in the folds of a field track and reminds everyone present that whatever is about to be discussed must eventually work in conditions like these. 

Fourteen journalists stood outside the manor house at Gut Damp in northern Germany, umbrellas raised or hands buried deep in jacket pockets against the Baltic chill. In front of us sat a row of Grenadiers: Station Wagons, Quartermasters and Utility models. Freshly washed and spotless for the presentation, their tyres still clean enough to betray the fact that the real work had not yet begun. 

Parked slightly apart from the others, and rather neatly positioned at the foot of the manor house steps, stood the new Black Edition, suitably dramatic in the grey light.

But that was not the real reason we were standing in the rain. We were here because the Grenadier had been criticised … not for its off-road capability, a question long since settled, but for something far more sensitive in the modern automotive world. 

The vehicle’s ladder-frame chassis, solid axles and mechanical simplicity were exactly what INEOS had promised under the phrase Built on Purpose. That part of the story was not in doubt. The debate centred somewhere else: steering feel, on-road behaviour, and the increasingly unavoidable intrusion of electronic driver assistance systems demanded by modern regulation. INEOS knew it. The journalists knew it. And the engineers standing quietly among us knew it as well.

The purpose of the gathering at Gut Damp was simple: to present Model Year 2026 and demonstrate that the company had listened.

For me, the conversation carried a slightly different weight. Over the past two years I have test-driven the Grenadier Quartermaster for more than twenty thousand kilometres across motorways, through villages barely wide enough for mirrors, over mountain passes and along the kind of broken tracks that define overland travel. Living with a vehicle changes your perspective to the extent some supposed flaws that appear during short test drives fade into the background once the machine becomes part of daily life, while others reveal themselves as deliberate engineering decisions that make far more sense away from smooth asphalt. The Grenadier falls firmly into that category.

That does not mean the criticism was entirely misplaced. Drivers accustomed to modern SUVs, vehicles engineered primarily for urban roads, sometimes struggled with a steering system that behaved differently from what they expected. The absence of aggressive self-centring and the relaxed feel around the straight-ahead position were enough to trigger some particularly harsh verdicts.

INEOS listened and, remarkably quickly for an automobile manufacturer, the engineers went back to work. The result now stands before us as Model Year 2026.

The critical changes are not cosmetic. They are mechanical, deliberate and focused. Steering geometry has been revised, the turning circle reduced, ADAS systems reworked to become far less intrusive, and even small details such as interior storage and climate control refined in response to real-world feedback. Perhaps most surprising of all in the current automotive climate, pricing remains unchanged across European markets … a detail that did not go unnoticed among the group standing in the rain.

But the real question remained unanswered.

Did the work actually change the driving experience? Because no amount of engineering explanation delivered beside a row of spotless vehicles can substitute for what happens once the engine starts and the road begins to unfold ahead. That answer would arrive the following morning.

Steering: the criticism INEOS chose to answer

The Grenadier’s steering became one of those subjects that automotive journalists like to circle. Some called it vague, others described it as antiquated, and a few seemed genuinely unsettled by it. The irony is that none of those descriptions quite captured what was actually happening.

The original system was designed around durability, mechanical feedback and predictable behaviour on rough terrain. Solid axles, a recirculating ball steering box and long suspension travel inevitably produce a different sensation at the wheel than the electrically assisted rack-and-pinion systems common in modern road cars. Drivers expecting the latter often interpreted the difference as a fault.

Spend real time with the vehicle, however, and the logic becomes clearer. A steering system that remains stable over broken ground, that does not kick violently when a tyre strikes a rock or rut, and that maintains composure when both front wheels are working independently across uneven terrain is rarely going to feel like a sports saloon on perfect asphalt.

INEOS understood this balance from the beginning, but they also recognised that the criticism around on-road behaviour, particularly around the straight-ahead position, was persistent enough to warrant attention.

For Model Year 2026 the engineers introduced a modification that sounds modest on paper but proves highly effective behind the wheel. The steering box now incorporates a variable ratio around the centre position. Where previously the ratio remained constant, it now tightens from 17.4:1 to 15.2:1 within the first 45 degrees of steering input either side of centre.

In practical terms, the steering becomes more responsive during the small corrections that dominate motorway driving and fast country roads, and the improvement is immediately noticeable. At Autobahn speeds the Grenadier tracks more confidently, requiring fewer micro-adjustments from the driver, while the sensation of float around the straight-ahead position, a frequent point of criticism in early reviews, has largely disappeared.

Yet the fundamental character of the system remains intact. The steering still communicates the road surface and still lacks the artificially strong self-centring common in modern SUVs. Drivers encountering the Grenadier for the first time may notice that difference during the first few kilometres, but the brain adjusts quickly, and once it does, the behaviour becomes entirely natural.

INEOS also revised the bump stops, reducing the turning circle by one metre. Originally the vehicle allowed additional clearance for heavy-duty snow chains, but in reality few drivers required it. The result is noticeably improved manoeuvrability, particularly in tight environments. At one narrow village junction during the drive, Hans-Peter Pessler offered a simple instruction from the rear seat: “Turn the steering wheel early and fast.”

It works.

For those considering larger tyres, an inevitable topic in overlanding circles, the MY2026 changes have not altered the practical limits. Tyres up to 33 inches remain comfortably within the vehicle’s envelope.

INEOS has not reinvented the steering. They have simply sharpened it.

ADAS: technology required by law, tamed by engineers

If steering was the most visible criticism, the second source of irritation came from modern regulation. Across Europe, mandatory driver assistance systems continue to expand, and whether drivers welcome them or not is largely irrelevant. Manufacturers must install them. The real challenge lies in doing so without turning the driving experience into an exercise in frustration.

INEOS was clearly aware that the original Grenadier occasionally crossed that line. The speed limit warning, in particular, had a habit of making its presence annoyingly known at precisely the wrong moment.

For Model Year 2026 the system has been recalibrated with something approaching common sense. The warning tone is now a deeper, softer gong that fades quickly into the background, making it far less intrusive in normal driving. Should drivers wish to disable it, a soft button located permanently at the top of the centre touchscreen allows the alert to be switched off instantly.

The same philosophy applies to lane keep assist. Rather than fighting the steering wheel, as many vehicles still do, the Grenadier gently applies braking to the rear wheels to guide the vehicle back into the lane. The effect is subtle, controlled and, most importantly, unobtrusive.

Emergency braking has also been updated to recognise pedestrians and cyclists, while a driver drowsiness monitoring system now sits discreetly inside the rear-view mirror housing.

Hans-Peter Pessler addressed the subject with refreshing honesty.

“Maybe you can ask your readers,” he said, “what they think about ADAS systems… why do we need this?”

The comment drew quiet laughter, but it also reflected a broader truth. If these systems must exist, the Grenadier now demonstrates that they can at least operate quietly in the background … and that is probably the highest compliment any ADAS system can receive.

Smaller refinements and a Black Edition

Beyond steering and electronics, MY2026 introduces a series of smaller refinements that become more relevant the longer the vehicle is used.

The HVAC system, for example, has been revised to address uneven air distribution. On previous journeys in extreme cold, I found myself wearing a sweater and jacket behind the wheel while my passenger remained comfortable in a T-shirt. Even during the two-hour drive from Hamburg to Gut Damp in a MY2025 vehicle, the system occasionally wandered in temperature without human input. Revised airflow guides and additional control mechanisms now aim to stabilise temperature and improve circulation throughout the cabin.

Elsewhere, practical additions such as seat-back storage nets improve day-to-day usability, while subtle exterior changes, including revised headlamps with two independent LED rings for driving lamps and indicators, and more visible rear branding, refresh the design without altering its identity.

The Black Edition, standing apart during the presentation, represents a different kind of update. With black wheels, black trim, dark roof lining, carpets and privacy windows, it clearly targets buyers drawn to vehicles such as the New Defender or the G-Wagen. Yet beneath the styling, the mechanical architecture remains unchanged. The ladder-frame chassis, solid axles and core drivetrain are all still present, but front and rear diff locks are not available.

It enters the lifestyle SUV space without surrendering the engineering that defines the Grenadier.

The drive

By early afternoon the convoy finally leaves the road and climbs onto the muddy estate tracks surrounding Gut Damp. The tyres and bodywork that looked so immaculate during the presentation quickly adopt a far more appropriate appearance.

Schleswig-Holstein is, however, famously flat. Mud on a level playing field may be entertaining, but it hardly represents a serious test of a vehicle designed for mountains and remote terrain.

What the conditions do confirm is reassuring. Nothing in the MY2026 revisions suggests any negative impact on the Grenadier’s off-road capability.

But the real verdict will not arrive here.

That requires altitude, distance and rough ground — and that is exactly where the Grenadier will be heading next.

For now, Model Year 2026 delivers something rather rare in the automotive industry: a manufacturer that listened to criticism, and responded quickly.